Horse-protector.



PATENTED APR. 2, 1907.

E. CRAWFORD.

J. 'HORSE PROTECTOR. APPLICATION FILED JULY 10, 1906.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HORSE-PROTECTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 2, 1907.

Application filed July 10, 1906. Serial No. 325,531.

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES ERNEST CRAW- FORD, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Charleston, in the county of Kanawha and State ofWest Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inHorse- Protectors, of which the following is a speci fication.

The invention relates to a shield for protecting draft-animals that usecollars, hames, and other devices for pullingheld by pressure againstthe shoulders and the neck.

The object of the present invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive,and efficient shield adapted to be readily applied to a draftanimal toprotect the neck and shoulders and prevent rain, sleet, dirt, snow, andthe like from coming in contact with those portions of the neck andshoulders of a horse or other draft-animal subject to the pressure ofharness, and thereby avoid the chafing and irritation caused by rain,snow, sleet, and the like getting between the harness and thedraft-animal.

The invention also has for its object to provide a shield of thischaracter adapted to absorb to a large extent the moisture or animalheat that may arise from the covered portion of a horse, so that suchcovered portion will be less sensitive to irritation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a horse-protectingshield which will be easy to handle and which may be readily attached toand removed from an animal.

Another object of the invention is to provide a shield which when ananimals head is raised may be readily adjusted to fit the neck properlyand prevent undue pressure thereon.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in theconstruction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described,illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claimshereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form,proportion, size, and minor details of construction within the scope ofthe claim may be resorted to without departing from the spirit orsacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a shield constructed inaccordance with this invention and shown applied to a horse. Fig. 2 is aplan view of the shield. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of thesame. Fig. 4 is a detail front elevation of the arched front portion ofthe shield. Fig. 5 is a reverse plan view of the same.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawings.

1 designates a horseprotecting shield designed to be constructed of oneor more thicknesses of duck, canvas, or other light suitable fabricwhich is waterproof, or substantially waterproof. The shield, which isapproximately elliptical in planview, as illustrated in Fig; 2 of thedrawings, is provided with a round edge 2, formed by a binding-strip ofleather or other suitable material and adapted to prevent the edges ofthe shield from chafing or otherwise irritating an animal. The shield,which is curved longitudinally to enable it to fit around the neck andshoulders of an animal, is provided with spaced rows of stitches 3,arranged substantially parallel with the edge of the shield, and thelatter is reinforced at the center by a piece 4, of leather or othersuitable material, which imparts the desired form to the shield andreserves the shape of the same. The rei orcing-piece 4 is tapered towardthe ends of the shield and is provided at its center with front and rearextensions. The edges of the reinforcing-pieces are stitched to theshield, and the front of the latter is provided with a central archedportion 5, formed by inserting a tapered piece 6 in the shield andcovered and reinforced with leather. The arched portion is adapted tofit the neck of a horse or other animal, and it prevents the front edgeof the shield from chafing or irritating the neck.

Suitable hame-holes 7 are provided at opposite sides of the center ofthe shield to e11- able the latter to be dropped over the hames 8, whichprojects through the hame-holes and retains the shield in position, asclearly illustrated in dotted lines on Fig. 1 of the drawings. Theseholes,however, may be omitted and will not be cut in the shield when thelatter is employed on harness not provided with hames. When the holesare not used, suitable snap-hooks are provided at the inner face of theupper portion of the shield for connecting the same with the harness.

The lower edges or ends of the side portions of the shield are providedwith short straps 9 and buckles 10 to enable the shield to be fastenedto the lower portion of a horse-collar or other part of a harnessarranged on and idapted to bear against the shoulders of a orse.

The shield may, if desired, be coated either interiorly or exteriorly,or both of its faces may be coated with a suitable preservative. It maybe given a coat of waterproof paint, or it may be washed, boiled, orotherwise treated with linseed-oil, paraffin, or any other waterproofmaterial. The shield is provided at opposite sides with rings 11,adapted to receive the driving-reins or lines of a harness and securedto the reinforcing-piece L- at the ends thereof by means of short straps12, as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The straps 12, whichform loops and which pass through the rings 1 1, have their endssuitably secured to the said reinforcing-piece 4.

It will be seen that the horse-protecting shield is simple andcomparatively inexpensive in construction and that it is light, strong,and durable and adapted to be readily applied to and removed from ahorse. It will also be apparent that those portions of the neck andshoulders of a horse which are subjected to the pressure of the harnessare protected by the shield, which excludes rain, snow, sleet, dirt, andthe like from the said parts, and thereby prevents the chafing andirritation which are present when the neck and shoulders of a horse areexposed to the weather.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A horse-protecting shield of substantially oblong shape adapted to beplaced around and conform to the neck and shoulders of an animal and toextend downwardly from the base of the neck to and terminating at thebottom portion of the horse-collar at opposite sides thereof, saidshield being constructed of flexible fabric and provided at its frontedge with an arched neck-receiving portion, a reinforcing-piece ofstouter material arranged at and extending from the opposite sides ofthe central portion of the shield to preserve the shape of the same, andterminal straps secured to the shield at the ends thereof and providedwith means for securing them to the horse-collar or hames of a harness.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

JAMES ERNEST CRAlVFOB-D. lVitnesses:

W. L. ASHBY,

I. M. REILEY.

